Little Known Facts: English First for Recording Instruments

With six flags having flown over Texas and numerous foreign languages spoken in this state, one might wonder if property can be conveyed and recorded in a language other than English.  While parties may be able to agree to convey property in a language other than English, a deed or any other instrument relating to real or personal property cannot be recorded in Texas unless it is written in English.

Section 11.002 of the Texas Property Code provides that "an instrument relating to real or personal property may not be recorded unless it is in English or complies with this section." That statute identifies only two exceptions to the English-only rule for recording instruments in Texas, each of which require that an English translation accompany the foreign language filing:

1. An instrument written in another language executed prior to August 22, 1897; or
2. An English instrument with a foreign-language acknowledgement if acknowledged outside the United States and containing a certificate, stamp, or seal of a notary public or other official before whom the acknowledgment was taken.